Key facts
- Iran and Oman have agreed on geographic coordinates for a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that these talks are separate from any decision to reopen the strait.
- The agreement aims to define new maritime routes as previous ones are no longer functional.
- US President Donald Trump stated he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.
- Iranian officials strongly rejected Trump's claim, asserting Iran's sovereignty over the strait.
Iran and Oman are establishing a temporary maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, with final details still under negotiation, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He stressed that these talks are separate from any decision to reopen the strategic waterway, noting that previous routes are no longer functional.
Araghchi stated that the negotiations with Oman concern the designation of maritime routes for ship passage, and that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would depend on the fulfillment of conditions to which the United States must adhere. This development follows US President Donald Trump's recent declaration that he would soon designate the Strait of Hormuz as a US territory.
Iranian officials strongly rejected Trump's remarks. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, stated the strait cannot be seized by tweet or military might and will remain under Iran's command. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei quoted Dostoevsky on the nature of self-deception, and army chief Amir Hatami warned of regret for any US attempt to control the strait.
Oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained severely disrupted, with only two vessels recorded passing through on Sunday and no visible crude oil shipments. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on February 28 following joint military strikes by the US and Israel, restricting navigation in the waterway that carries approximately 25 percent of global seaborne oil trade.